The Thief of Riften
by Magna Scriptor
Summary: The tale of a young orphan who grows up in Dovahkiin times to become the greatest thief Skyrim has ever seen. But there is more to his life than just crime...


_**The Thief of Riften**_

_Chapter One_

The lone, Nord boy walked the streets of Riften, looking for an easy target. When he found what he was looking for, and began to walk towards her loosely hanging satchel, a shrill voice rang out through the air 'Cedran!' The boy sighed and quickly whisked his hand away as the woman turned to see where the voice came from. 'Drat' thought the boy 'Always at the worst time...'

He walked to the source of the voice, the Honorhall Orphanage in Riften, and found a stern looking woman with her arms crossed. 'Cedran! Where were you?' asked the woman to the boy.

'Out in the city' he answered. This was half the truth; he was actually practising a pickpocket manoeuvre he saw a thief carry out.

'I know you were trying to pickpocket someone!'

'Drat. How does she always know!?' Cedran thought 'I learnt my lesson the last time! I wouldn't do it again.' He lied.

'I hope not, we put our necks on the line to get you out of trouble last time!' Cedran looked at the ground and shuffled his feet. It was true he was caught trying to steal a dagger in the marketplace. But Grelod, the orphanage owner and the woman standing in front of Cedran, convinced the guards he was only playing a game. The guard asked what game he was playing with a dagger, but Grelod just slipped him some gold and told him to stay quiet. Cedran has been paying for that gold for the past five months. Grelod is always mean, but she is especially mean to Cedran. 'You just paid the guard off!' He said, in the heat of the moment. That was the closest he ever got to stealing.

'Get into the orphanage and get sweeping, NOW!' She screamed at him. Cedran sighed and walked into the orphanage, took the broom, and began to sweep. He got off lucky this time. This was one of the easier punishments he has gotten.

"It's Stupid! I do nothing wrong!" Cedran complained, sweeping the same spot he has been sweeping for the past ten minutes. He looked at Anwen. "Right?" He asked. "Right?"

"Yeah... Well..." Anwen said, trying to find an easy way to finish her sentence. Anwen was Cedran's only friend. Nobody else would even talk to Cedran in risk of getting in trouble with Grelod. Anwen had dark, brown hair and hazelnut eyes to match. She was taller than Cedran but she slouched, giving the appearance of them being similar heights. She was around fourteen, slightly younger than Cedran himself. "You did get caught stealing that one time..."

"Other than that" Quickly butted in Cedran.

"You ALWAYS try to steal! You make me be your lookout, so don't say you don't steal! Retorted Anwen.

"I wouldn't call it stealing"

"Fine. 'Pickpocketing'" Jeered Anwen

"What are you doing in here, Anwen? No talking to Cedran!" Grelod marched in.

"But he..." Anwen started.

"No talking back! You can sweep with Cedran now. But still no talking!" Grelod left as quickly as she came in. Anwen sighed.

"I'm sorry Anwen; I shouldn't have let you get into trouble." Cedran apologized.

"It's fine... I'm used to it now, being around you so much!" Anwen laughed it off, taking a brush from the closet. "Now where do you need sweeping?"

Cedran sat atop the orphanage roof eating an apple. It was after midnight and the stall owners had left their leftovers out in the open. "It's been almost a year... Why can't Grelod leave me alone?!" Cedran thought to himself. He sat in silence and mulled over the question. He heard two voices on the streets below.

"So that cart is heading for Winterhold tonight, eh?" asked one of the voices.

"Yes" answered the other "Although I wouldn't go this late at night. Too many thieves and marauders about"

"Stop being such a milk-drinker! Anyway, they're taking the main road, so it won..." the two men walked out of earshot. Cedran knew what he had to do, but first, he had to say goodbye. He sneaked into the orphanage and began to write a note.

"Anwen,

I'm running away. I can't take this torture anymore. Don't worry, I'll come back to get you as soon as I can. Wait for me. I swear I will save you from this horror. Trust me.

You will always be in my heart,

Cedran"

Cedran folded the note and put it under Anwen's pillow, careful not to wake her. He sneaked back out and ran towards the gate. There were no guards on watch, so he got out easily. The cart had already begun on its journey and Cedran ran after it. He quickly jumped in the back and hid under the canvas while the cart slowly trundled along its path to Winterhold.

Cedran woke with a jump. The cart had stopped and he had shouting from the front. Were they at Winterhold? He risked peeking his head out. They were on a road between two cliffs. He saw two horses with saddles and no owners slightly off the cobbled road. As he slowly snuck out of the canvas, he heard the voices slightly louder than before. "What'll we do with 'em?" said a gruff voice.

"Throw 'em to the side of the road, they ain't gonna cause no trouble." said another, slightly more high pitched voice.

"How do we know that?"

"Look at 'em! Without that guard minding 'em they ain't gonna attack us!"

"I guess... Why don't we just kill 'em?"

"Are you stupid? Killing's for bandits. Do we look like bandits?"

"Heh, no, cause we have brains!" The man started laughing.

"Correction. I have brains." The other man hit the gruff voiced man over the head. They got into a fight and Cedran took his chance. He ran as fast as he could into the forest and didn't look back.

"What was that?" The gruff man stood up. Cedran quickly hid behind a tree.

"Probably nothin'; Just a fox"

"I saw something and it was way too big for a fox!" The man started walking out towards the forest.

"Probably a bear then"

"Nonono, too small for a bear." He was getting closer. Cedran held his hand over his mouth to muffle his breath.

"Fine. A _baby_ bear. Now let's get back to the cart." The high pitched man took the gruff man and dragged him towards the cart.

Cedran exhaled. He continued into the forest but made sure to move more slowly this time.


End file.
